Japanese Customs statistics showed that Japan's steel scrap exports fell to about 459,000 tons in January 2026, falling by 17.5% compared to the same month last year.

Among them, Vietnam was the top destination for Japanese scrap, importing about 254,300 tons, representing a year-over-year increase of 1.6%. South Korea and Bangladesh ranked as the next largest importers, receiving about 102,000 tons and 22,700 tons, respectively. Meanwhile, exports to Indonesia rose to 20,200 tons during the month, up by 22.2% year on year.